Horse of 4 years. Horses typically start training at 3 years, with basic training complete by age 4. Such a horse is old enough for riding immediately but still young enough for advanced training if you wish. Although it may be a bit more expensive than a younger horse, the difference is partly offset by saving the fees on basic training.

5 to 7 Years Old. A trained horse of this age has all the advantages of a 4-year old. However, it will be more emotionally mature and calmer, and may be trained to a higher level as well. All of these factors make it easier to manage and more reliable than a younger horse, so it is more suitable for new riders and for children. However, as a horse gets older it becomes more difficult and consequently more expensive to train so one should ensure that the horse is fully trained before the end of this period.

Over 7 Years. Older horses are increasingly calm and dependable. Consequently, the older horse is great for children and new riders. They are also less expensive to buy as they are less popular. If the horse is not too old and has been well treated, it should still have many years of riding left. However, one would not want to purchase a horse which is too old for the number of years you intend to ride it.

Three year old. This is the age when riding training normally starts (depending on the breed, individual horse and owner). As such, one can have the pleasure of seeing the horse trained yourself. However, if you are buying a horse primarily to ride or have limited time, an already trained horse may be more suitable.

Under 3 years. The main benefit of horses under 3 years of age is that you can have the pleasure of watching them grow up. Although such young horses are cheaper to buy, in the end it is usually less expensive to buy a trained horse than it is to buy a foal and pay for the years of stabling and then training required before it is ready to ride. Furthermore, with an older trained horse one can be more certain of the horse’s physical and mental characteristics than with a foal.

The preceding is a general summary and not applicable in all circumstances. For example, if you will be using the horse for racing or other competitions, the associated age restrictions need to be taken into account. Furthermore, breeds and individual horses age at different rates, as well as owners having different policies as to when and to what extent horses are trained prior to sale.

Duber Stewart writes for the Horses for Sale website, using his experiences in owning and breeding horses.